Far right, leftist rivals ahead in Brazil poll
Right-wing Brazil presidential election frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro consolidated his lead in an opinion poll published on Monday, with leftist challenger Fernando Haddad also building momentum. Bolsonaro has been in pole position since Brazil's top electoral court barred former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from running as he serves a 12-year prison sentence for accepting a bribe. But Haddad, Lula's Workers' Party replacement candidate, has seen his popularity soar since he was officially named last week as the man to run for the leftist party in the October 7 election. Bolsonaro, accused by his detractors of racism, sexism and homophobia, has 28.2 percent of the vote compared to 17.6 for Haddad, according to the poll conducted by MDA on behalf of the National Transport Federation. Ex-army captain Bolsonaro has climbed almost 10 points this month. His share has been increasing rapidly since Lula -- who had been polling almost 40 percent, more than double his closest rival -- was struck off. But Haddad's own share has tripled in the same period, since he emerged from Lula's shadow. Center left candidate Ciro Gomes has dropped from joint second to third with 10.8, while market-friendly center right runner Geraldo Alckmin is on 6.1. Environmentalist Marina Silva, who previously had been running second to Bolsonaro, has tailed off dramatically. Brazilian polls also ask voters who they would pick in an eventual head-to-head second round, which takes place three weeks after the first round if there is no outright winner. And the news is even better there for Bolsonaro, who is recovering in hospital after being stabbed earlier this month by a left-wing activist while out on the campaign trail. The MDA poll of 2,002 people found he would beat all other candidates in the second round, except Gomes. Previous polls had suggested he would lose, no matter whom he faced. In a Datafolha poll last week, Bolsonaro led with 26 percent to half that share for Haddad and Gomes. Monday's poll results contributed to the Ibovespa index of Sao Paulo's stock market jumping 1.17 percent. "The Ibovespa is reacting in an openly favorable manner to Bolsonaro," said Spinelli consultant Andre Perfeito.